The political process in South Sudan is 'not dead’ but requires 'significant resuscitation', the head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country said.
“Regrettably, no party has shown interest in reviving the Peace Agreement,” David Shearer, the head of UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), told the UN Security Council on Tuesday.
He further said to create political will for the parties to end hostilities and build peace, the international community must speak with one voice; the African Union, the Security Council and IGAD must be united in dealing with the parties.
“I work hand in hand with the UN Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan, as well as with the African Union and its envoy President Konare and IGAD Chair President Mogae to identify ways forward to revitalize the peace process,” he said.
He stressed that the UN mission in the country will work together with partners on opportunities to forge a viable solution to end the hostilities.
“Despite what appears to be attempts by the parties to achieve victory through military means, a political solution is the only way forward for South Sudan,” said Shearer.
Shearer pointed out that unlike this time last year, where the conflict was construed on a bipolar basis, saying today the opposition in South Sudan has splintered, making it necessary for UN peace building efforts to be more widely cast than previously.
He told the 15-member Council that “virtually no part of the country is immune from conflict. Yet there has been no concerted effort by any party to adhere to a ceasefire. Instead, we are seeing an intensification of the conflict over the past month.”
In early April, South Sudan’s Vice President James Wani Igga said the 2015 peace agreement signed with the armed opposition group is now standing on “one leg”.
In October last year, JMEC Deputy Chairman Ambassador Augostino Njoroge said the peace deal in South Sudan is 'wounded' but not yet dead and he called it the best remaining hope for sustainable peace.
But the opposition group has repeatedly described the country’s fragile peace agreement as “dead.”